Abstract: An optical module has a substrate, a waveguide, formed on the substrate, for guiding light, and a photonic crystal portion that has media having different refractive indices arranged in a periodic pattern and that is disposed in a channel of the waveguide on the substrate. Here, the photonic crystal and the substrate are integrally formed. The formation comprises the steps of forming an aluminum film on the top of a conductive substrate, forming a protective film on the aluminum film, removing the protective film from a predetermined area to form a window over the predetermined area, anodizing the aluminum film exposed through the window to form photonic crystals, removing the protective film, cladding the bottom of the substrate and forming a core layer over the cladded bottom.

Abstract: An optical device including a diffraction grating of high reflectivity with respect to wavelengths of light to be extracted provides a diffraction grating and an optical element with a large range of varying wavelengths of light to be extracted. An ultraviolet light having a pattern of a prescribed pitch is projected to a precursor of a polyimide. The precursor is polymerized after the ultraviolet light is projected to obtain a diffraction grating made of polyimide. The diffraction grating has a high reflectivity on an intended light wavelength.

Abstract: An optical waveguide is produced by forming on a substrate a waveguide layer and/or a clad layer containing, as their main ingredient, polyimide with a fluorine substitution rate of 30% or higher (thus as a fluorinated polyimide layer), with a primer layer laid in between that contains, as its main ingredient, polyimide with a fluorine substitution rate of 10% or lower (including 0%). This improves adherence of the fluorinated polyimide layer to the substrate and prevents the fluorinated polyimide layer from peeling off the substrate. For more effective prevention of such peeling-off and of warping of the substrate, the primer layer is preferably formed to have a thickness of 0.1 to 20 &mgr;m. The primer layer may contain a coupling agent.

Abstract: On a waveguide 34 formed on a substrate 33, a plurality of comblike shaped electrodes 37, 38 that generate surface acoustic waves 37a, 38a from different directions are provided. And a periodic refractive indices portion 40 is formed, where the refractive indices are periodically distributed in accordance with the wavelengths of the surface acoustic waves 37a, 38a generated by applying a voltage to the comblike shaped electrodes 37, 38. And by changing a frequency of the applying voltage for sequentially changing the wavelengths of the surface acoustic waves 37a, 38a, the exiting direction of the light exiting from the periodic refractive indices portion 40 is scanned. This makes it possible to provide an optical functional device and an optical scanning apparatus that perform light scanning less costly but at a high speed, and that can secure a wide scanning angle.

Abstract: An optical module has a substrate, a waveguide, formed on the substrate, for guiding light, and a photonic crystal portion that has media having different refractive indices arranged in a periodic pattern and that is disposed in a channel of the waveguide on the substrate. Here, the photonic crystal and the substrate are integrally formed.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is, in a solar battery where at least an electrolyte and a porous member of an oxide semiconductor retaining a pigment material are provided between a transparent electrode and a counter electrode, to obtain a high conversion efficiency by improving the contact between the transparent electrode and the porous member of the oxide semiconductor. In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, in the solar battery according to the present invention where at least the electrolyte 6 and the porous member 3 of an oxide semiconductor retaining pigment material are provided between the transparent electrode 1 and the counter electrode 5, a finely-formed film 8 made of the same oxide semiconductor as the porous member 3 is further provided between the transparent electrode 1 and the porous member 3 of the oxide semiconductor.